


Damaged

by FreyReh



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU Verse, F/F, Red Queen Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 15:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4924651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreyReh/pseuds/FreyReh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby is walking through Storybrooke when she hears a commotion. Investigating it, she finds the woman she’s grown to love in trouble.  Set during S4 finale, Ruby/Regina</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damaged

Title: Damaged  
  
Summary: Ruby is walking through Storybrooke when she hears a commotion. Investigating it, she finds the woman she’s grown to love in trouble.    
  
Setting: 4B finale   
Prompt: Ruby as the Dark One   
For: nyczsq   
Pairing: Ruby/Regina, mentions of OQ   
Dis: I don’t own OUAT

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Ruby sighed while walking down the sidewalk, hands deep in her jacket pockets as she enjoyed the solitude that the cool night brought for her. Looking up now she frowned as a dark cloud moved to cover the stars and moon. She shivered, shrugging deeper into her black leather coat, cursing her choice of a leather skirt instead of jeans, but thinking nothing of the sudden darkness as she continued to walk. Booted heels clicking against the sidewalk, she tossed her long locks over her shoulders, the wind making the ends of her hair sway while crossing another street. She was tired, and not just because she worked the celebration of Emma and Henry restoring them back to their normal selves, but because of what her life was. She was tired of being jerked from one reality to another, tired of the burden of being the wolf, and tired of being treated like some secondhand character in a fairy tale. 

 

Though, she supposed, that was what she was. Secondhand. No one really acknowledged her much as of late. Not that she was angry just... Sad. Snow had the new baby, and really she was the only friend she really had. Granny was the only other person she really talked to but she could only handle so much. There was one person she was missing, someone who came into the diner almost every day for six weeks. Someone she would talk with, and despite the sadness in her eyes, always had a small smile before leaving for the night. Someone who she shared deep secrets with about wanting to venture out into the world without magic, but was too scared to go out in the unknown and be even more alone than she was now.

 

Regina and Ruby had gotten somewhat close. Talking about lost dreams and dreary life lessons. Ruby had gotten comfortable with leaning a hip against the counter and cleaning the same glass for thirty minutes while ignoring her other customers for the most part to talk with Regina. They had became friends, and though they were as close as Ruby and Snow once had been, they were close enough to talk about almost anything. From the woes of a teenage son, to the troubling thoughts of Granny's health. Then, the whirlwind hit, and suddenly Regina was gone. Ruby was tossed into an alternate universe where she was a Black Knight with the threat of the death of her pack over her head if she didn’t cooperate then snapped back in the worst case of whiplash ever. Now, she knew things would change again, and not for the better. 

 

She had developed a stupid crush on the Evil Queen, a crush that had snuck up on her and had been unexpected... And damn if she hadn’t thought perhaps Regina had felt the same way. Until Regina went on a mission to bring him back. Suddenly, Regina wasn't in her usual spot in the diner and instead finding _him_. The worst part bring their return to Storybrooke. Holding hands. Kissing. Ruby has sadly watched the couple while the whole of Storybrooke celebrated the defeat of the Author. Reaching up she rubbed at her suddenly watery eyes, smearing red and black make-up over the pale skin of her cheeks. 

 

“Get it together, Ruby,” she said, scolding herself while stuffing her hands deep into her pockets once more, shoulders hunched and defeated  as her boots scuffed against the concrete. “No one cares.”

 

She paused as she came to the corner, eyes narrowing as she heard a whisper around her. Suddenly, her wolf instincts kicked into overdrive. Something was wrong. Something was out there and she felt like she was being watched. So involved in her self pity she hadn't been paying attention to what could be lurking in the shadows, and she cursed being distracted. Her eyes flashed yellow as she pressed her back into the brick of the building closest to her, eyes alert as they flitted to every area visible to her. Slowly she inhaled, sussing out the threat the best she could before growling once more, it rumbling in her chest and making the charms around her neck rattle. Her head snapped to the side when she heard a familiar laugh. The shifting breeze had the scent of vanilla and apples tease her flared nostrils. 

 

Regina. 

 

There was a threat, and Regina was outside. She had to warn her. Quickly she made her way towards her, the staccato clicks of her booted heels urging her even faster until she was finally in the main square. She sighed in relief when seeing Regina was okay, despite the pang in her heart of seeing her arm-in-arm with Robin. Others were there, Killian and Emma... Snow and David. Ruby was about to make her presence known to ask what was wrong when it happened. 

 

The wrongness she’d been feeling let itself be known. A vortex of darkness, angry and powerful, spiraled from the sky and latched onto Regina. Ruby felt a blind panic as the woman she had grown to care about stumbled back, a startled cry escaping her lips at a whirlwind of black tar-like wisps surrounded her. 

 

‘No. No!’

 

The one good thing in her life, at that moment, was being attacked. Something within her howled. She dashed forward, side-stepping Robin as he was tossed from the darkness. Ruby stopped right behind Emma and listened, eyes on Regina, who was now looking at her in fear. Ruby knew what she had to do, knew that it had to be her once Emma was deterred from her fist attempt of saving Regina. The darkness needed an achor and who better but her? Who was she, anyway? Just a secondary character that worked as a waitress in a rundown diner. Who other than those needing refills would even miss her? Granny... but she couldn't think of her now. She'd been on the sidelines cleaning up dirty dishes and wiping down tables for too long. She needed to do this. For Snow, who already lost her daughter. For Hook and Emma... Who just found their happy ending. For Regina. For the woman she maybe could have loved, who loved another: and deserved to be happy like everyone else. Now was the time she could step up, and be the hero for once. 

 

Emma was distracted by Hook now, saying her goodbyes, and didn’t nearly have the reflexes Ruby did. Ruby rushed forward, snagging the dagger Emma hadn’t been holding tight enough out of her hand, then faced Regina. 

 

“Ruby? What?” Emma took a step forward, eyes wild with fear. For her? Maybe. “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“You have ALL worked too hard for your happy endings,” said Ruby, looking at Emma over her shoulder, a sad smile now on her face. “I can’t let you all throw it away. Not even you, Emma.” 

 

“Ruby, no,” called out Snow, hands clutching at her chest, fear for her friend as well as her daughter swimming in the depths of her brown eyes. 

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Mutt?” asked Regina. Ruby looked to her now. Regina’s eyes were wide, disbelieving. She jerked out her hand, opening it in a demanding nature. “Hand the dagger to me!”

 

“No...” Ruby lifted the dagger. She took a deep breath. She was ready. Emma tried to take a step forward and Ruby flinched only a little as she let out a powerful kick, sending the Savior back into the arms of her pirate. She would apologize later, maybe, if the darkness allowed it. “It  _has_ to be this way.”

 

"Don't," warned Regina.

 

"I will always protect you..."

 

Her confession had Regina's eyes widening almost comically. Regina opened her mouth to say something, but Ruby didn't give her the chance. She lifted up the dagger, and accepted the darkness.She felt her body jolt when what felt like a thousand needles pierced her skin. She stumbled under the weight of the darkness but she stood tall, eyes on the woman whowas now being held by another man. Ruby and Regina’s eyes connected and despite it all. Despite of the fear of the unknown. Despite knowing she was about to become the Dark One... She was okay. She was fulfilling her purpose. Perhaps some twisted destiny? She was being a hero, and she was doing it for the people she loved, and could have loved. She was sacrificing her happy ending, so that they could all have theirs.

 

What were secondary characters for... right?

 

“You’ll find a way to save me...” she said calmly, eyes now going to Snow. She isn't sure why she says it. A form of reassurance perhaps? “You always do...”

 

Then she is gone. The night is still, the sky now dotted with sparkling stars. There is a loud, metallic clank that reverberated through the square and everyone looked at each other as a new name scrawled itself onto the dagger. 

 

_Ruby Lucas._

 

**END**

**Special thanks to[forgetthesun ](http://forgetthesun.tumblr.com)that made an art piece inspired by this fic [HERE](http://forgetthesun.tumblr.com/post/130396775444/artist-forgetthesun-inspired-by-freyreh)**

 


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